As you read my blog, you know that once in a city love to walk it. Forget the public transports, do the walks, the best way to see a city and some healthy habits too… Walking lets you see all the wonderful niches of architecture in the buildings and able to read their history which I like. I did the same on several occasions in Prague, and with several posts, feel these squares deserve a post of their own. Some of the sights on them have a separate post in my blog as well. Therefore, here is my take on the squares of Republic and Old Town of Prague!!
The Republic Square or Náměstí Republiky is a wonderful square in Prague,. It is located on the border of the old town and the new town. On or near the square are these important buildings: the Kotva department store, the Municipal House, the Powder Tower, the Czech National Bank and the Palladium shopping mall. The square leads to Na příkopě Street, the most expensive street in the center, which connects it to Wenceslas Square.
With buildings ranging in age and architectural style from the 1475 Powder Tower , refinished and redecorated in the 1800’s in a highly romanticized Neo-Gothic style, to the austere Baroque Church of St. Joseph tucked along side the Neo-Romanesque former barracks building now housing the Palladium shopping center, to the gorgeous mosaic-encrusted splendor of the Art Nouveau Municipal House , to the 1942 Czech National Bank building, and the newly-remodeled Kotva building, considered by some to be one of the ugliest Soviet-era buildings in Prague, you can see the wonders of the ages in Prague’s Náměstí Republiky.
Formerly part of the city’s fortifications, it formed part of the Royal Route, and later underwent various name changes based on its use over the centuries. Prague’s Náměstí Republiky earned its current name in 1918 when the declaration of Czechoslovak nationhood was proclaimed from the balcony of the Municipal House. Easy to reach by multiple tram lines, as well as the Náměstí Republiky metro B line stop, you can also walk to either Wenceslas Square or Old Town Square in a matter of minutes.
The city of Prague tourist office on the Republic square : https://www.prague.eu/fr/objet/lieux/1630/place-de-la-republique-namesti-republiky
Old Town Square or Staroměstské náměstí is another wonderful square in Prague, located in the heart of the historic center. The old buildings, often very colorful, which border the square give it its character and offer by their architecture a shortcut of the history of the city.
The buildings lining the square vary in style, ranging from Gothic with the Church of Our Lady of Týn, the Old Town’s main church since the 14C, to Baroque with the Church of St. Nicholas. The famous Astronomical Clock from 1410, one of the most famous and oldest in the world, is located on the City/Town Hall in the Old Town. The medieval city/town hall tower is open to the public and offers views of the old town. A museum is housed in the Baroque Kinský Palace.The picturesque Maison A la Cloche de Pierre is Gothic in style and dates back to the Middle Ages. (1330), The house known as A La Minute is decorated with Renaissance sgraffito. (1550), The Ochs house owes its name to the owner who lived there in the 15C. Baroque in style, it is characterized in a niche of the facade by a statue of Saint Anthony of Padua dating from the end of the 18C. The Týn School was a medieval high school opposite the Church of Our Lady of Týn. The school was taught in Latin.
The Old Town square is home to the monument to the religious reformer Jan Hus, inaugurated in 1915 for the 500th anniversary of his death. On November 3, 1918, the Column of Mary erected in the 17C after the Thirty Years’ War was demolished in celebration of the country’s independence from the former Habsburg Empire. After years of controversy, the column was re-erected in the square in 2020.
The city of Prague tourist office on the Old Town Square : https://www.prague.eu/en/object/places/183/old-town-square-staromestske-namesti
There you go folks, a brief introduction to two wonderful squares of pretty Prague district 1. I have great memories and friendship of my visits to the city and always looking forward to be back. Hope you enjoy the post on these wonderful squares as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!
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